Confident and clear
Kalavardhanis RCD 137
Charumathi Ramachandran
Carnatic Classical Vocal
Price not indicated
(Cassette)
Charumathi Ramachandran is one of the thinking musicians of the day whose sharp, innovative, challenging mind comes up with something out of the ordinary in each of her stage performances.
Her CD album for Kalavardhanis amply justifies this statement. She begins her programme with a brilliant Tamil pada varnam in Abheri composed by herself, incorporating the genre of sruti bedha with amazing imagination, and also singing it with absolute confidence and clarity.
Refreshing
The Khanda Triputa tala employed for this piece in praise of the Universal Mother provides a refreshing laya outfit. Syama Sastri's Chintamani song "Devi Brova" and "Sripathe" in Nagaswaravali by Tyagaraja are melodic fillers. Charumati's mentor, the inimitable M. L. Vasantha Kumari, had the reputation of treading ground feared by angels. It is an indication of the artiste's equally bold approach in choosing the raga for the heavy segment of Ragam, Tanam and Pallavi. The melody is explored in detail and the Tanam sung with nonchalant ease. The Pallavi "Bharatha Desam Namadhu Desam, Nesamudan Vazha Isan Arulvendum" in Ata Talam Tisra gati is quite exceptional in structure. The niraval with a lucid flow and the swaras in Desh, Hindolam, Anandabhairavi and Sindubhairavi are indeed scholarly efforts, but the ace in the trumps is the singing of the sahitya in different Indian languages after each ragamalika swara sequence.
A Padam in Dwijavanti by Swati Tirunal, a javali by Dharmapuri Subbarayar , a Bharatiar song and verses from the Bhagavad Gita both set to tune by Charumathi make the day for the rasika. Usha Rajagopalan on the violin, Kallidaikurichi Sivakumar on the mridangam and S.V. Ramani on the ghatam respond creditably to the demands of the singer.
S. P.
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Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
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Thiruvananthapuram
